Inktober 2019 Days 26-31

I’m doing Inktober again in my small sketchbook Canson art book universal (14×21 cm / 4×6 in), in which I used half pages every day.

Day 26: “Dark”

Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a man walking at the end of a wooden plank pier toward a flock of birds in a lighter spot in the otherwise dark sky.

Dark is back! In this piece a man wanders at the end of a wooden pier, toward a source of light among the darkness and the fog, where a flock of birds seem to gravitate. I used and blended my grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen, and black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen.

Day 27: “Coat”

Black and grey ink drawing of a Caucasian-Japanese mixed-race woman wearing a flowery coat over her kimono. Her hair is done in the traditional Japanese fashion. There is a grey background.

Japanese inspired piece, it had been a while (no) I draw a woman wearing a coat adorned with flowers, her hair made traditionally like geishas. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake for the background and shading, and a 0.05 mm black Uni Pin pen.

Day 28: “Ride”

Black, grey and blue drawing of a young girl mounted on a buffalo. She wears a flower over her ear and a summer dress. She's barefoot.

Going not too far from Japan, this is a Vietnamese scene: a dreamy-looking young woman is riding a buffalo. I used the grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, green ink brush pen by Sketchbox and indigo ink Cambio brush pen by Kuretake. The outline was done with a 0.05 mm black Uni Pin pen. I really like how it came out.

Day 29: “Injured”

Black and grey ink drawing of two sword warriors fighting each other. One's sword is through the other warrior's body.

And we’re back in medieval Japan with two sword fighters in action, one transpercing the other. I started with my black Pentel Brushpen for broad strokes to give movement, and then for finer detail, and added grey ink using a brush pen from Kuretake. It took me merely a few minutes.

Day 30: “Catch”

Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a young boy jumping with legs wide apart. He wears a baseball mitt over his right hand and a cap over his head.

Other than the kid’s face, I am very happy with this piece. Little boy jumping, mitt in hand, and legs spread wide apart. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen. The outline was done using a 0.05 mm black Uni Pin pen.

Day 31: “Ripe”

Simple grey ink drawing of two peaches. One is cut in half and the other half is cut in half.

After “Tasty”, the second abstract prompt of the month is “Ripe”. Someone over at Inktober 2019 headquarters really was hungry! I drew peaches. The minimal drawing focused (badly) on shading using dots and some hatching. I used a black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen.

Inktober 2019 Days 21-25

I’m doing Inktober again in my small sketchbook Canson art book universal (14×21 cm / 4×6 in), in which I used half pages every day.

Day 21: “Treasure”

Lots of black and grey for this drawing of a pirate diving to fetch a treasure. He's bare chest, wears short trousers and a red belt. The treasure is an open treasure chest. Not far is the broken front of a ship with prow figure. The pens I used are visible next to the open artbook.

Another piece I absolutely loved doing! Underwater scene showing a pirate diving and reaching out toward a wooden box full of gold on the ocean bed, a sunken ship in the background, the hull of his rowing boat underneath the surface, and light beams. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen, and a Slim Frixion pen in red for his belt.

Day 22: “Ghost”

Black and grey ink drawing of a sad woman sitting in front of a mirror and looking down. In the reflection only there is a man standing behind her and looking at her, his comforting hands on her shoulders.

Another favourite! I drew a sad woman in front of a mirror and the ghost of her husband appears behind her in her reflection, standing right behind her, his hands on her shoulders, looking at her lovingly. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and outlined with a 0.05 mm black Uni Pin pen.

Day 23: “Ancient”

Black and grey drawing of an Egyptian marble statue against a black backdrop.

This is Antinous as Osiris. When he drowned in the Nile at the age of 20, he was raised to the status of God by emperor Hadrian, his lover. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, black ink Pentel Brushpen to fill the background, and a 0.05 mm black Uni pin pen for the outline.

Day 24: “Dizzy”

Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a man progressing along a cliff, on narrow wooden planks and holding a chain. There are trees behind him and other mountains in the background.

So far, I have been really happy with this series and I loved doing this piece too. It’s a man progressing along a cliff, on narrow wooden planks and holding a chain. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen, both of which I blended in places, and outlined using a black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen.

Day 25: “Tasty”

Very simple drawing in sepia ink of a tea pot, a bowl and spoon, dim sum and chopsticks, a plate of gyoza and a small cup.

I very much dislike the abstract prompts! What a horrendous piece: a meal of dim sum, gyoza, soup and tea. I used a sepia line maker.

Inktober 2019 Days 16-20

I’m doing Inktober again in my small sketchbook Canson art book universal (14×21 cm / 4×6 in), in which I used half pages every day.

Day 16: “Wild”

Baby panda bending forward to grab a bamboo stick, next to a few upright bamboo sticks. The pens I used are visible next to the open artbook.

It was high time I drew a baby panda! I used a green ink brush pen from Sketchbox, grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen.

Day 17: “Ornament”

Black and grey drawing of the ornament at the front of a vintage car which is a stylish Native American head.

Inspiration took ages to come for this prompt. I settled on a bonnet ornament shaped like a Native American’s head. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen.

Day 18: “Misfit”

Black and grey ink drawing of an animal that has the body of a lion and the head of an elephant. The grey brushpen and black brushpen I used are visible next to the open artbook.

A strange creature that doesn’t fit in the savanna, with the body of a lion and the head oh an elephant. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen.

Day 19: “Sling”

White ink drawing on black ink showing hands holding a sling around the Earth

A piece inspired by how our generation behaves like it’s tossing our planet. I filled the space with black ink and then outlined the hands, sling and Earth with a white jellyroll pen.

Day 20: “Tread”

Lots of black and a bit of grey ink to draw a couple of large gears levitating in space, in one of which ten people walk by following each other and all look down at the luminous screens in their palms.

I absolutely loved doing this piece! The prompt made me think of a treadmill but I didn’t want to draw that —not political enough. Instead I started to envision humans numbingly powering gears in space. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen, and a Posca white pen for the stars.

Inktober 2019 Days 11-15

Day 11: “Snow”

Black ink drawing of a winter scene: grass, fence, house, trees.

I experimented for the first time with negative space. I liked it! I used a black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen.

Day 12: “Dragon”

Lots of ink in black and grey around a traditional looking Chinese dragon

What can I say? I love to draw dragons! Other than the grey ink that bled into the paper without blending with the previous layer, and the strange green hue where the grey ink of my Kuretake brush pen and the black ink of my Pentel Brushpen met, I really like how it turned out.

Day 13: “Ash’

Black and grey drawing of bodies and rubble. A man at the back props himself up on his arms.

I really enjoyed doing this one! I chose to depict a scene from Pompei in AD 79 after volcano ash trapped the bodies of people trying to escape their horrific death. I used a grey ink brush pen and a water brush in places to get blended lighter tones, then outlined using a black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen.

Day 14: “Overgrown”

Black and red ballpoint pen drawing of overgrown vegetation covering abandoned vehicles and the San Francisco golden gate bridge.

Black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen and Slim frixion pen in red for this messy attempt at rendering how the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco would look like a bit after the apocalypse.

Day 15: “Legend”

Black and grey ink drawing of hands on the handle of a Japanese sword. I wrote a quote by Miyamoto Musashi from the Earth book in 1644: 'The way of the warrior is the brave acceptance of death.' The open artbook is resting on top of the book on Miyamoto Mushashi: the book of the five rings.

“The way of the warrior is the brave acceptance of death.” — Miyamoto Musashi, The Earth Book, 1644. I draw the detail of a samurai, showing two swords. Musashi was famous for the way of the two swords. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, a black ink Pentel Brushpen.